Charles Carroll (barrister)
Encyclopedia
Charles Carroll was an American
lawyer and statesman from Annapolis, Maryland
. He was the builder of the Baltimore Colonial home Mount Clare
(1760), and a delegate to the Continental Congress
in 1776 and 1777.
in Ireland
, Charles Carroll was born in Annapolis, Maryland
and was a distant cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton
and Daniel Carroll
. His father, also Charles Carroll, took him to Europe in 1733 for his education. Young Charles spent six years at the English House school in Lisbon, Portugal. He then went to England
to complete his education at Eton
and Cambridge
. After graduating Cambridge in 1746, Charles returned to Annapolis. He took up residence there. He busied himself learning to manage the family's farm and mills at Carrollton.
In 1751 Charles decided on a more specific career. He journeyed to London
, took up residence at the Middle Temple
, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar at the Inns of Court
there before returning to Maryland early in 1755. Since there were now three other relatives named Charles active in public affairs in the area, he began to call himself Charles Carroll, Barrister
. Three months later his father died, leaving Charles, at 32, one of the wealthiest men in Maryland. He was elected to his father's seat for Anne Arundel County
in the Maryland Assembly.
In 1760 he completed construction of his summer home and estate at Georgia Plantation, west of Baltimore. He named the home "Mount Clare" after his grandmother. In June of 1763 Charles married, to Margaret Tilghman (1742–1817), daughter of Matthew Tilghman
of Talbot County
. Although the couple had no children who reached maturity, they remained together until his death. She became the mistress of Mount Clare, and earned a reputation for her greenhouse and pinery, where she grew oranges, lemons, and pineapple.
, and then met with other leaders in the Annapolis Convention and had important roles in all their sessions. He joined the Committee of Correspondence
in 1774, and the Committee of Safety in 1775. He presided over several sessions of the Convention, which was the early revolutionary government in Maryland.
Charles was one of the committee of the convention that drafted the Declaration and Charter of Rights and form of government for the state of Maryland which served as Maryland's first new constitution after it was adopted on November 3, 1776. When the convention voted to expel the royal governor, Robert Eden
, he delivered the message as the chairman of the Convention. Then, in an action typical of his style, he entertained the governor and his wife as house guests at Mount Clare until they sailed for England.
Later in November of 1776, the Convention sent Carroll as a delegate to the Continental Congress
to replace his cousin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
. He served in that Congress until February 15, 1777. He declined the position of Chief Justice in the new revolutionary government. But when he returned, he was elected to the first state Senate in 1777. Later he was re-elected and served in that office until his death, on March 23, 1783, at Mount Clare
. His funeral was held at Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church
in Baltimore. He was buried there but later his body was moved to St. Anne's Churchyard
in Annapolis.
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In the early 1760s, Carroll took the lead and encouraged a group of his business associates to build a fund for a young saddler, Charles Willson Peale
, so that he could go to Europe and study painting.
After Charles' death, his wife Margaret stayed at Mount Clare until her death there on March 14, 1817. Their home today is a museum, operated since 1917 by the National Society of the Colonial Dames in the State of Maryland, and owned by the city of Baltimore. The core of the home is the refurbished main block. The wings, which had been lost over the years, were rebuilt in 1908. A great deal of the family furniture and possessions are preserved there. The home is a fine example of Georgian architecture, and stands on a rise in the center of Carroll Park in southwest Baltimore. Mount Clare Museum House is open to the public year round.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and statesman from Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. He was the builder of the Baltimore Colonial home Mount Clare
Mount Clare (Maryland)
Mount Clare is the oldest Colonial-era structure in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The Georgian style plantation house exhibits a somewhat altered five-part plan...
(1760), and a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
in 1776 and 1777.
Early life
A descendant of the last Gaelic Lords of ÉileÉile
Éile, Éle or Éli, commonly anglicised Ely, was an ancient and medieval kingdom of northern Munster in Ireland.-Overview:They claimed descent from Céin , a possibly mythical or spurious younger son of Ailill Aulom and brother of Éogan Mór, and thus kinship with the Eóganachta...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Charles Carroll was born in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
and was a distant cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
and Daniel Carroll
Daniel Carroll
Daniel Carroll was a politician and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a prominent member of one of the United States' great colonial Catholic families, whose members included his younger brother Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States and...
. His father, also Charles Carroll, took him to Europe in 1733 for his education. Young Charles spent six years at the English House school in Lisbon, Portugal. He then went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to complete his education at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. After graduating Cambridge in 1746, Charles returned to Annapolis. He took up residence there. He busied himself learning to manage the family's farm and mills at Carrollton.
In 1751 Charles decided on a more specific career. He journeyed to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, took up residence at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar at the Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
there before returning to Maryland early in 1755. Since there were now three other relatives named Charles active in public affairs in the area, he began to call himself Charles Carroll, Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. Three months later his father died, leaving Charles, at 32, one of the wealthiest men in Maryland. He was elected to his father's seat for Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
in the Maryland Assembly.
In 1760 he completed construction of his summer home and estate at Georgia Plantation, west of Baltimore. He named the home "Mount Clare" after his grandmother. In June of 1763 Charles married, to Margaret Tilghman (1742–1817), daughter of Matthew Tilghman
Matthew Tilghman
Matthew Tilghman was an American planter and Revolutionary leader from Maryland, who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776.-Early life:...
of Talbot County
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Although the couple had no children who reached maturity, they remained together until his death. She became the mistress of Mount Clare, and earned a reputation for her greenhouse and pinery, where she grew oranges, lemons, and pineapple.
Revolutionary years
Carroll continued in the Assembly until it was prorogued at the beginning of the RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and then met with other leaders in the Annapolis Convention and had important roles in all their sessions. He joined the Committee of Correspondence
Committee of correspondence
The Committees of Correspondence were shadow governments organized by the Patriot leaders of the Thirteen Colonies on the eve of American Revolution. They coordinated responses to Britain and shared their plans; by 1773 they had emerged as shadow governments, superseding the colonial legislature...
in 1774, and the Committee of Safety in 1775. He presided over several sessions of the Convention, which was the early revolutionary government in Maryland.
Charles was one of the committee of the convention that drafted the Declaration and Charter of Rights and form of government for the state of Maryland which served as Maryland's first new constitution after it was adopted on November 3, 1776. When the convention voted to expel the royal governor, Robert Eden
Robert Eden
Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of Maryland, 23rd Proprietary Governor of Maryland was a British colonial official and the last Royal Governor of Maryland...
, he delivered the message as the chairman of the Convention. Then, in an action typical of his style, he entertained the governor and his wife as house guests at Mount Clare until they sailed for England.
Later in November of 1776, the Convention sent Carroll as a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
to replace his cousin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
. He served in that Congress until February 15, 1777. He declined the position of Chief Justice in the new revolutionary government. But when he returned, he was elected to the first state Senate in 1777. Later he was re-elected and served in that office until his death, on March 23, 1783, at Mount Clare
Mount Clare (Maryland)
Mount Clare is the oldest Colonial-era structure in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The Georgian style plantation house exhibits a somewhat altered five-part plan...
. His funeral was held at Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church
St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church (Baltimore, Maryland)
St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, more commonly called Old St. Paul's Church today, is a historic Episcopal church located at 233 North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It was founded in 1692 as the parish church for Patapsco Parish, one of the original 30 parishes in...
in Baltimore. He was buried there but later his body was moved to St. Anne's Churchyard
St. Anne's Church (Annapolis, Maryland)
St. Anne's Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church located in Church Circle, Annapolis. The first church in Annapolis, it was founded in 1692 to serve as the parish church for the newly created Middle Neck Parish, one of the original 30 Anglican parishes in the Province of Maryland.-First...
in Annapolis.
Mount Clare and other
Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
, so that he could go to Europe and study painting.
After Charles' death, his wife Margaret stayed at Mount Clare until her death there on March 14, 1817. Their home today is a museum, operated since 1917 by the National Society of the Colonial Dames in the State of Maryland, and owned by the city of Baltimore. The core of the home is the refurbished main block. The wings, which had been lost over the years, were rebuilt in 1908. A great deal of the family furniture and possessions are preserved there. The home is a fine example of Georgian architecture, and stands on a rise in the center of Carroll Park in southwest Baltimore. Mount Clare Museum House is open to the public year round.
Further reading
- Ronald Hoffman; "Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500-1782"; 2000, University of North Carolina Press, ISBN 0-8078-2556-5; (2002, paperback, ISBN 0-8078-5347-X).
- Michael Trostel; "Mount Clare, Being an Account of the Seat Built by Charles Carroll etc."; Baltimore, 1981, Colonial Dames of Maryland.